Happy Birthday
by MareisuinShihaku
Summary: "Um... see... i-it was your birthday a-and I... um... Happy Birthday Reimu..." ReiMari, oneshot.


Morning. The most peaceful event that happens before everything else goes awry. Birds were chirping, trees were shedding leaves, and the Hakurei shrine maiden was waking up.

She knew that, no matter how seemingly normal today was, today was not going to be normal at all.

Why?

Today was her birthday.

Very few people know about this, which is why Reimu Hakurei never wasted any money on parties and the like. Suika didn't know, Aya didn't know, and Yukari… well, she knew, but she never actually acknowledged it since she was always hibernating at this time of the year.

Stumbling to her kitchen in a zombie-like fashion, Reimu sleepily made herself some tea and sat down in front of the table, sipping it with a contented look.

'Aah. I wonder if I can eat anything else besides tea, sake, and soup today,' Reimu thought to herself. '… what about donations? Maybe my luck will be higher this time?'

And although Reimu thought that last part, she highly doubted it.

Finishing her tea and pouring another cup to herself, she looked out and stared at the autumn leaves drifting down and littering the yard once again. Sighing, she finished her tea and went out, grabbing a broom on the way.

Not even her birth date could make her escape the same chores.

**xoxo**

Deep inside the Forest of Magic, someone woke up much earlier than she should have.

Someone being Marisa Kirisame, an ordinary magician as she calls herself.

She knew today was not ordinary, though. Today was the day she had been anticipating.

Reimu's birthday.

Hopping off her bed, she fixed herself and rushed to the dump she called home. Looking around, she thought of what to give Reimu as a present.

'Hmm… lessee… what about a new broom? The one she's using is getting a bit worn… nah, if it's a broom, it doesn't need fixing except for maybe the cracks. I should know.'

'So how about… aah, a new gohei? Ever since the Scarlet Weather Incident, she's been complaining that it's got multiple cracks on it from smacking people on the head… eh, she can fix that herself, and besides, it's not like something like that is gonna happen again, right?'

'How about… … … … aha! I know now! Why didn't I think of this before?!'

And so the ordinary magician snatched something from her pile, jumped on her broom, and zoomed off, a pouch of coins jingling from her waist.

**xoxo**

When Marisa arrives in front of the shrine, she did a quick scout on the area to check if Reimu was there. Thankfully, she wasn't.

The witch tiptoed to the most important item in the shrine; the donation box. Wooden, worn and empty, Marisa carefully put the coins in the box. Not dropped – put. Extremely slowly. And she made sure that they wouldn't make a sound louder than a simple _klik_.

Looking around once again for anyone peeking, Marisa made a break to it, zipping off and into the Human Village, where she knew she would find both Reimu and the key of her plan.

A plan that involved sweets.

**xoxo**

"Ugh… I can't even buy the cheapest candy they have in store…" Reimu groaned, placing a hand on her growling stomach. "Guess I'll have to make do on soup again, even on my birthday…"

Reimu sighed, before returning the piece of tempting candy back on the shelf. She wondered if she could pull a Marisa and grab the candy, dash out of here, and get away (probably) scot-free.

… … … nah.

Before exiting the store, though, Reimu gave one last glance on the shelf, her mouth watering as she thought about how heavenly even one candy would taste like. … She'd never get the chance to eat it, would she? Nope.

In the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of black and white dash through the many corridors crowded with people. Turning her head quickly, she caught a glimpse of a familiar hat before it disappeared from her sight completely.

'Was that just my imagination or was it really _Marisa _in the shopping district?' she thought, before shrugging and flying off back to the shrine. 'Eh, whatever. She couldn't possibly know the date of my birthday anyway.'

Oh, how wrong she was!

**xoxo**

Marisa ran and ran, panting in relief when she stopped and looked back, thanking her luck that Reimu didn't give chase. After using up a few precious seconds to catch her breath, Marisa glanced at the shelves before snatching an auburn colored box with a golden yin-yang sign on the cover. Flying off to the counter and inserting into the line with a great _fwoosh_, Marisa handed the box to the shopkeeper.

"Yo, shopkeeper! I want two cookies that look exactly like this!" Marisa demanded, grabbing a paper and snatching a pencil from two different people and drawing what seemed to be a…

... … … not even the author wants to say it…

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "This costs a lot, miss. Around ten thousand yen or more. Are you sure you can—"

"DO IT AND FINISH IT TODAY!"

"Alright alright! Sheesh, kids these days. Gimme that paper and pencil, I'll do a better copy than your shitty drawing!"

And that was how the ordinary magician was able to shove two little sugared cookies in the box while carrying it to the shrine.

**xoxo**

When Marisa dropped down on the shrine's grounds (her, that sorta rhymed!), Reimu was already there, sipping her tea quietly. They both knew, however, that there was a strong presence of melancholy in the air.

"Oh, afternoon Marisa. I'll fix you some tea," Reimu greeted, standing up stiffly and walking to the kitchen to leave the concerned Marisa alone.

'If she's this sad, she probably hasn't looked into the donation box yet, and she didn't buy a single candy from the store. I guess my presents can make her around decent enough to make her smile again.'

Once Reimu came back with another cup of tea, she settled down and quietly drank every last drop of the tea she had left. With a sigh, Marisa suggested, "Ehh, Reimu? Why don't you check the donation box, I thought I saw some gold there… but I'm not too sure…"

"Gold?"

Reimu dashed out, leaving a trail of dust from where she was before. A scream resounded throughout the whole of Gensokyo, where even a curious reporter decided to sneak towards the Hakurei Shrine and take a few pictures.

The shrine maiden rushed back in, tackle-hugging Marisa and grinning hugely. "I-I-I-I-!" she stammered, no longer able to say another word as Marisa imagined rivers of joy streaming from her eyes. Well, of course that didn't happen, but to see the previously calm Reimu like this? Utterly amazing.

Once Reimu had regained her composure after taking a few deep breaths as instructed by the ordinary magician, the shrine maiden sat down once again, smiling cheerily at her refilled tea. Marisa, proud her little gimmick worked on Reimu, decided it was either now or never; and she would rather pick now.

"Um… see… i-it was your birthday a-and I… um… H-happy Birthday Reimu…"

On the table, where Marisa had placed the neatly opened box, was a two dozen of cookies with small, yet noticeable sugar dots on them. The two most important things in the world to Reimu right now, though, were the duo of cookies on top of the pile.

It was a head of her, complete with hair ornaments and ribbon, and next to it, was Marisa's head, with the familiar witch hat and toothy grin. They were right beside each other, and near them, among the other cookies, were faces of Suika, Aya, Yukari, hell, even Sanae and the Devil's Maid!

Reimu was shocked still, with Marisa tipping down her hat to hide her slight blush. Reimu then decided to break the ice by standing up and going near Marisa, smiling as she tilted her witch hat upwards to show her red face.

"Thank you, Marisa."

A peck on the forehead, and Marisa went scarlet. A glint of red crossed Reimu's cheeks as well, but she ignored it, pulling away.

Outside, everyone's favorite reporter was trying as hard as possible not to bleed from her nose as she had taken the picture where Reimu's lips met Marisa's forehead. Flying off, the reporter was going to get a handful of papers for _this _baby!

**Hi~ it's Reisu once again, and I'm not sorry at all for posting this. Unless you don't like ReiMari in which you should be shot- I'm sorry. ... ... actually no I'm not. *hides behind wall***

**I'll get to work now on TPPE, so read and review!**

**_Reisu, 11/18/12_**


End file.
